She scolded him. “Fine enough to get you thrown in jail with a noose waiting for you down the road.”
“But my angel, here, rescued me.”
“Not all by myself. I did have a little help from the Federal cavalry and the resistance group. But most of all from the Lord.” Her voice wobbled.
Devon exhaled. His eyes glowed with more than the campfire. “The Lord made a way where there was no way. He worked through Morning Fawn’s courage and love to make it happen.” He beamed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
Ben drank in the sight before him. That’s the kind of relationship he wanted with Cora. Head over heels in love, able to laugh and kid and be at ease with each other and stand by each other no matter what. And most of all, a relationship with the Lord at the center, their love for Him coming first.
He dropped his gaze to his boots. “I admire the two of you. You’ve made good work of your marriage.”
Devon gazed at him. “We’ll pray for you and Miss Scott.”
“Miss Scott?” Morning Fawn’s eyes widened. “The older sister of the boy Little Star is smitten with? I thought something would come of you working hard to help her with her brother’s ranch.”
Devon nudged her with his shoulder. “You’re embarrassing the man.”
“No. I must hear this.” She leaned forward. “So you two are courting?”
“Yes.” Ben shrugged, but he couldn’t contain his grin.
“I knew something had changed with you from the time we met you in Weatherford to when you showed up at our place.”
Ben half chuckled. “Well, I got walloped by a Comanche a few weeks ago, and my face still tells the tale. Thankfully, I still have my scalp.”
“But that’s not the difference I’m talking about.”
“What is it, then?”
“Your whole demeanor has changed.” She fingered the end of her hair. “I wager you’re in love and have reason to believe it’s reciprocated.”
Was it reciprocated? If only Cora was sitting beside him tonight by the fire, beneath the stars. A hollowness enveloped his chest. He should have found a way to bring Cora and Charlie with him.
Devon placed a finger to her lips. “Give the man his privacy.”
Morning Fawn grabbed his finger and kissed it. “No more questions, just a statement.” Her voice lilted. “I’d love to plan a wedding.”
His and Cora’s wedding? Ben’s brain stuttered. He chuckled. “There’s a little matter of courting first. And a mountain-size bit of convincing that I need to do on my part.”
“I’m sure she’ll come to see your charms in no time at all.”
He could only wish. “Before we go too far down that road, I wanted to ask about LeBeau. I recognize the name. There’s a Dr. Arthur LeBeau?—”
“Arthur LeBeau?” Morning Fawn straightened. Her eyes widened. “That’s my cousin. Where did you run across him at?”
“Weatherford.” Ben brushed off his hands. “He’s headquartered in Dallas, but he comes to Parker County one week a month to fill in until the town finds a new doctor. But more importantly, the man”—the words slipped around the boulder in his throat—“has taken a keen interest in Miss Scott.”
Morning Fawn lifted her chin. “I haven’t seen him since childhood, but I’ve heard enough about his actions to know he’s not a man of honor, at least not in my definition of the word. I had a friend, a slave at my uncle’s place. Arthur kept asking his father to send her to him in the army as his cook. But it wasn’t her cooking he was interested in, if you get my meaning.”
A chill swept over Ben. “I get your meaning.”
“I had no idea my cousin was anywhere near here.”
“From what I’ve heard, he has some land in Parker County that he hopes to turn into a ranch.”
“Land?” Morning Fawn leapt off the log. “I bet that’s my family’s land.” She turned to Devon. “Land that I almost traded my freedom for.”
Devon took her hand and tugged her down to sit. “You were never really going to go along with your uncle’s scheme.” He intertwined his fingers with hers and turned to Ben. “Morning Fawn and Mrs. Ramsey’s parents acquired a large plot of land in the northern part of the county, near the Trinity River, back in the 1850s before they were killed in the Comanche raid. Mr. Robert LeBeau tried to bribe my wife with it.”
